


Love and Bond

by heroes_with_stories



Category: Luigi's Mansion (Video Games), Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Super Mario Bros. (Video Games), Super Mario Odyssey (Video Game), Super Princess Peach (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Awkward Romance, Awkward Tension, Awkwardness, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Male Character, Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Everyone Is Alive, Everyone Needs A Hug, Everyone Thinks They're Together, F/M, Fantasy, Fiction, Flashbacks, Flower Crowns, Flowers, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gardens & Gardening, Gossip, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Marriage Proposal, Mild Hurt/Comfort, No Incest, No Sex, No Smut, No Spoilers, Panic, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Relationship, Romance, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Slow Romance, Small Towns, Trauma, Walking, Wedding Rings, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000, Wordcount: Over 1.000, Wordcount: Under 10.000, Writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:01:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29453475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heroes_with_stories/pseuds/heroes_with_stories
Summary: He knows she deserves someone better. Someone taller, more handsome, just overall better.But, Mario still couldn't help his heart sailing and his face turning into a shade of red whenever he was around her. She was so perfect, and it wasn't just her beauty. It was her generosity to her town, her toughness when she is faced with problems, her smarts when it comes to anything needing brains, and her hand overlapping his, and her soft kisses, and her touch…
Relationships: Mario/Peach-hime | Peach Toadstool
Kudos: 19





	Love and Bond

"Mario, is there something bothering you?" The voice of Peach blinked Mario out of his thoughts as his head turned to face her.

It would have been slightly awkward if it wasn't for the sound of the busy toads in the town below, walking in and out of shops and decorating everything for the flower festival in a few days. But, when Peach spoke to him with her gentle and soothing voice, it was as if all the other background noise was inaudible to Mario, and the only thing that mattered was Peach and what she was saying.

Well, maybe he only thought this way because she was a princess, and he wanted to make sure she was alright. Even though he knows she can handle herself, ever since the two started dating, Bowser has started to get more aggressive with his attacks out of jealousy. Some attacks where even starting to direct towards Mario. Though Bowser never hurt her, but there are still times where Mario gets anxious. For example, during sporting events when Bowser would lose against her, the thought of him taking his rage out on her is terrifying.

So, Mario swore to protect her no matter what. Even if he had to go through pain to get to her, the end result is always worth it. To feel her soft touch and to feel her lips against his nose, cheek, forehead, knuckles, wherever…It was one of the most calming things to him. Though he didn't adventure for glory, fame and for rewards, and there were even moments where he would get overwhelmed by crowds, he still didn't mind her love and affection.

He didn't realize he was staring at her in silence for a moment until she waved her hand in front of his face, blinking him out of his thoughts. He seemed confused for a second before he remembered the question being asked to him. "Oh…! I'm fine…erm, there's nothing bothering me," he stammered, nervously.

He was lying. He was secretly fiddling with something in his pocket, a small black box with a blue, diamond ring inside, that some of his royal friends helped him buy. He also worked for some people, trying to afford money in order to afford a ring that he thinks she'll like. He's been working for months on end, and eventually Daisy got so impatient that she donated coins to the cause despite Mario's retorts.

When he went to the shop to buy it, he could tell the other toads knew what was going on. Though, besides snickering, some wished him good luck. The cashier helped him pick out the ring, he stuffed the ring in his pocket, and walked out with all the other toads being excited.

Though, Luigi and Daisy were the most impatient with the proposal. While Luigi only asked every once in a while if Mario was going to propose, Daisy would offer to help buy him a ring every time they would be together.

He's been thinking for a while about how the proposal would go, mostly about what could happen if she rejected, which he wouldn't be surprised if she did. After all, she doesn't really deserve someone so boring and insignificant like him.

Mario did ask Toadsworth about proposing to his "daughter", and with very obvious hesitation, he ended up approving. Now, it was just the matter of Bowser's reaction, who could possibly cause a world tantrum out of his outrage.

Though, if travelling worlds or even galaxies and universes were to save her, he was sold.

"Oh… Are you sure?" Peach questioned, pausing his thoughts. "You know I can read you like a book…"

"I'm sure," Mario stated, "I'm just… thinking." He technically wasn't wrong, but he felt slightly bad for not telling her the full detail.

She still seemed unsure, but she gently nodded as she looked back at the town from the balcony, overlooking her kingdom and all of her citizens. She wore a slightly different outfit today, a pink summer dress that went down to her knees with a yellow floral pattern, pink shoes, and long, white socks. Her blonde hair was down and wavy, lightly blowing from the spring and calming breeze.

Mario wasn't wearing anything fancy, but nothing too plain either. He had on a red sweater, blue jeans, and red sneakers. Underneath his signature cap, which he has always worn for as long as he can remember, was his dirty blonde and messy hair, which he usually covered up.

Looking at her floral dress made him remember something, a moment the two had after a traumatizing event had occurred for Mario. He stared down at the rooftops of the buildings below as he sighed, lightly hugging himself as his memory returned to him.

╌────═❁═────╌

Sitting in the cold, dark cage inside of a dark and haunting room, Mario could practically feel life draining from himself as he was on the verge of tears from both anger and frustration.

He didn't expect that he would be in this situation with Bowser. How Mario would be kidnapped against the person that he has always won against. He was impressed yet really embarrassed, and if he could beat Bowser up for capturing him and his friends like that, he would.

He leaned against the cold bars of the cage and shivered, hugging himself as he waited for someone to come. He didn't know who, Luigi and Toad were also captured, and Peach could be in danger right now, he didn't know any other possibility.

He hasn't felt so helpless before in his life. He laid himself down in the cage as he stared at the darkness around him, letting his tears fall from his eyes and drip onto his clothes and the bars. He didn't know what to do, he had bruises and scars from the kidnapping, all he could see is darkness, he could hear nothing, he was sitting in an uncomfortable cage, and all he could think about was his other friends and his brother, all who could be in potential danger.

His anxiety got the best of him and he started to break down, tightly closing his eyes. He didn't know what was going to happen to his friends and it worried him, and he really wanted to make sure they're okay.

His chest hurt from all of the crying and his nose was very stuffy, he could barely breathe out of it. He closed his eyes and rested his head between the bars, trying his best to calm himself down.

He could hear something loud coming from another room. He suspected it was Bowser, and he got frustrated already from being alone with horrible thoughts. So he sat up and yelled, "Shut up!" before laying back down again, continuing to break down and cry.

Not too long later, he could hear the door open, and he could see light reflecting from the room. He thought it was Bowser or his minions, so he closed his eyes and prepared himself for the worst.

"Mario?"

He opened his eyes. That voice was way too high to be Bowser's. He shakily sat up and looked behind him and saw a blonde haired woman with a pink dress. She carried her parasol with a face on it, but he didn't pay much attention to it since he has seen many weirder things before.

"P-Princess…?" He sat on his knees and put his hands on the bars of the cage, blinking to make sure that what was happening was real. He saw her quickly run to the cage and opened it, and he practically leaped into her arms and picked her up, spinning her around. Though he was still crying, it was out of joy rather than sadness.

He saw Luigi and Toad come over, and Luigi practically sobbed as he and Mario shared a tight hug. He pulled Peach in also as Toad hugged his leg, and the group shared a moment of silence, the only thing breaking it was the sniffles of the bros.

Eventually, Peach backed away as she looked at the group. "We need to get out of here, you know that this castle could collapse at any second if at all."

And with that, the group quickly escaped. As they walked off, Mario could hear the castle collapse behind them, and a chill went down his spine as he imagined what could have happened if they hadn't come on time.

Peach said that she was the one that saved him, and he couldn't have been prouder and more shocked. He knew she was strong, but he never knew that she would have to put her strength and heroism to the test. 

When they got home, Toad Town welcomed them with open arms. A celebration was immediately held, but Luigi was tired and went home, and Peach invited Mario to her castle for a talk she wanted with him.

The two went to the garden behind the castle. Peach picked a bunch of flowers, making a pile for the two to make some flower crowns from. She taught him years ago when they first met.

She looked at him and gently smiled, and he looked back at her. Her smile was so elegant and warm, and it always gave him a fuzzy feeling that always made him smile back, and this moment was no exception.

"Soooo…What was it like for you?" Mario questioned, "You know, adventuring and stuff."

"Oh, it was fun," Peach spoke up. "My parasol came in handy, and I used the wand of emotions that Bowser had on us to my advantage to come save you three. But…it was also scary. I kept wondering what could have happened to you, and I kept pushing myself to keep going…"

He gently nodded, frowning a little. "Well…either way, you still came for us," he spoke. "And you did good."

"Oh, thank you, dear…" she smiled, looking back down at her flower crown and continuing to work on it. She lightly hummed a melody that managed to soothe him slightly.

She was so amazing. She's strong, kind, sweet…It made him admire her greatly. His face turned into a light shade of red as he looked back down also, continuing to work on his.

There was a small moment of silence before Mario felt his hat being placed off of his head and replaced with something else, which he suspected to be a flower crown. He heard Peach giggle a little as she held his hat in her hands.

He smirked a little before gently taking off her crown also and placing his crown on her head, holding her crown carefully as he knew it was pure gold.

She looked up at her new crown and giggled. "Oh, it's so pretty…" she spoke, continuing to fascinate over it.

Mario only watched her, a small grin on his face. His face remained red, maybe even a little more red as he watched her, her happiness and joy giving him another fuzzy feeling inside of him.

╌────═❁═────╌

He was broken from his thoughts when he heard Peach speaking to him. He looked up from the rooftops of Toad Town and glanced at her, listening to what she was saying.

"I'm a little cold," she spoke, standing up and fixing her dress. "I'm going to head inside…"

He stood up also, his hand still in the pocket with the ring box inside. "I'll come with," he declared, then thought for a moment before speaking again. "It's…a little cold for me also."

Peach nodded, and with that, the two walked inside, making their way downstairs. They went to one of the lounging rooms from the left wing side of the castle, which had a couch and a fireplace with a few blankets.

The fireplace was turned on thanks for Firebrand, and the two sat down with the only blanket there being wrapped around both of them. Mario simply closed his eyes, though besides relaxing, his mind was filled with worrisome thoughts on the proposal.

There were many things he feared throughout his life. Being kidnapped by King Boo again, losing everyone whom he was close to, and many more. But, this moment was one of the most stressful and fearful moments he ever had to deal with, because in his eyes, it's either spend the rest of his life with the woman he loves most, or be completely embarrassed and heartbroken and never seem to be happy ever again.

He opened his eyes again. He could feel arms being wrapped around him, and he was embraced into a hug from Peach. Though he didn't pull away, he stayed into her warm and welcoming embrace as he closed his eyes. He rested his head upon her chest and relaxed, and so did she.

"...Dearest," Peach broke the silence. "If there's something wrong, please tell me…" she looked down at Mario and frowned, her ocean eyes sparkling from the fire besides them.

She must have realized his discomfort. Maybe she was trying to somehow manipulate Mario in the kindest by making him comfortable, but sadly, it didn't work, as he couldn't tell her about the proposal. She had a tendency to try and read people's feelings, and she was very skilled at that. To try and make people happy and comfortable enough to finally spit out their feelings…

Well, maybe he shouldn't call it manipulation. Maybe she was genuinely concerned, or maybe she genuinely wanted to hug and cuddle him. Or both.

He lightly shook his head, trying to make up an excuse. Though, his mouth thought quicker than his head, and he softly spoke, "...Do you love me?"

His face heated up upon realizing what he said, thinking that his question was foolish at first. After such a very long time of the two of them confessing their feelings to each other, Mario still managed to sputter out such a foolish question.

He could feel his nails digging into the insides of his hand out of disappointment for himself. Though, he quickly unbleached them when it started hurting. Though, it was her moment to reveal her true feelings if she needed to.

Peach seemed surprised by that question. "Of course I do," her voice managed to keep it's composure. "We have been together for such a long time, you know…"

He gently nodded, staring at the fireplace. "I guess so," he whispered. He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to relax himself and continuing to build up his confidence.

One thing was slightly bothering him, though. He didn't mind being trapped in her loving and warm embrace, the last time this happened was right after a traumatizing event had occurred, and he still wasn't feeling great from what happened.

He shakily sighed as he couldn't help his mind from drifting off and thinking back to that moment.

╌────═❁═────╌

Mario laid down alone on the couch as he tightly closed his eyes, trying to keep back the remaining tears he had filling his eyes. And though no matter how hard he tried to get his mind off of what he was thinking about, it still pierced his thoughts like a disease.

Recently, he's been kidnapped again by that stupid Boo King. He remembered simply laying down in his room, staring at the ceiling in thought, and suddenly a large amount of small hands grabbed his body and carried him away, passing out as he was carried away to a mansion. And though he wanted to believe that all of it was a dream, it felt too real.

He remembered waking up and hearing the cries of his other friends, of some other toads and the princess. Before he could even react, a painting slammed down on him. He didn't have much confusion, this feeling was already so familiar, and he went with his usual routine of worrying and waiting for his brother to come along.

Being trapped in a portrait, not being able to escape…it really made him think about his worth and strength.

He scrunched up a little more, hugging himself and tightly closing his eyes. He wished Luigi was here for some comfort, Mario hated being alone like this, especially since it's only been a few days since he's been captured, and the first few days were always the hardest for him.

At least the rain helped him keep himself slightly calmer. Silence was always so loud for him, and it always made him uncomfortable. You never know when a sudden loud boom could pop out of nowhere, and he learned this from experience.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted when he heard a knock on his door. He didn't know who could be visiting, Luigi was with E. Gadd to help figure out how to keep King Boo captured for good, and Peach…well, he didn't have to explain. She must have been busier with other more important things.

He walked to the door and answered it, looking to see who it was. He was startled seeing the princess on the other side, a brown cloak protecting her from the rain. She didn't have any sort of escort, her eyes glanced back over at him as she gently smiled as a silent greeting.

Mario blinked before speaking, "P-Princess? What are you doing here?" He thought she would be relaxing from the experience that happened a few days ago, not wasting her time visiting…well, him. Nevertheless, he moved out of the way to let her inside, not wanting her to stand out in the cold for any longer.

She walked inside, her eyes scanning around the house for a second before relaxing. "Well…I just suspected you felt a little sad after what happened, so I just decided to stop and visit."

"...Okay," he nodded. It's not that he didn't mind her company, he actually quite enjoyed it, but did she actually want to be here? "It's not as nice as your castle, but…" he closed the door behind them.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it, dear…" Peach turned and faced him. "Your home is cute…and it helps me relax. It's almost like a comfort spot to me."

He managed to lightly smile. "Oh…well, you're welcome to come whenever you'd like. Do you need to sit down? Do you need anything?" He sputtered, wanting to make sure she was comfortable.

She closed her eyes and smiled. "I'm alright…I would like to sit down, though."

She stayed for quite a while, the two simply sitting on the couch and discussing whatever topic came to their minds. Though, Mario only half paid attention to what Peach was saying, since his mind was wandering somewhere else.

There were moments where she had to wave to him to make sure he was paying attention or to make sure he was alright. When the fifth time of losing his focus came, she frowned and grabbed one of his hands.

"Mario…you're doing it again…" Peach spoke, softly. "You're thinking about it again, aren't you?"

Mario gently nodded after a moment of hesitation. There was no point in lying, he was one of the easiest people to read through and he was pretty predictable. At least to Peach, as she continued to hold his hand a little tighter. He turned his head to face the ground, feeling his eyes swell with tears again.

He didn't have to say what was bothering him, because she already knew. She pulled him into a tight hug as he almost immediately started to cry into her shoulder. He could feel her hand rubbing against his back as an attempt to soothe.

He continued to cry and cry, but she never said a word, only trying to provide comfort. She leaned back against the couch cushions, closing her eyes as if to relax a little. Though, she continued to rub his back and provide small kisses on the forehead, which made him start to calm down a little.

He could feel himself drifting off into slumber, resting his head on her chest before he slept, sleeping peacefully as he was wrapped in her warm body.

╌────═❁═────╌

"Dear…you look really tired…" Peach spoke to him. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

The answer to that was no. Mario was too anxious for the past day about the proposal that sleep was just something that would distract him. That would explain why he kept drifting off into his own thoughts, why he wasn't paying too much attention to what she was saying.

As much as he didn't want to confess, he shook his head no at her answer. There was no point in lying, and he would feel bad if he did such a thing.

She frowned, "Mario, you need to get sleep…you know how important it is to you…"

"I know," he murmured, softly. He was admittedly tired, but he wasn't ready to sleep yet. "I will, then…"

She thought for a moment before gently putting a hand on her shoulder. "Let's get you home and you can rest, alright…? We can be together tomorrow…"

He blinked. That's not good, he needed to propose today. If not today, then he might keep procrastinating.

He lightly shook his head, "N-No, I'm alright, thank you-" he was quieted when Peach put her hand up, almost as if it was an instinct.

"You need to sleep, hun," she said as she took hold of his hand. "Come on, I'll take you home."

Mario couldn't reject anymore, so he ended up simply nodding and following her out. Now, during this small walk, this was his last chance to propose to her.

As they walked out of the door and into the busy and crowded village, most of the toads greeted them with a wave and small 'hellos'. Some looked over at them and smiled for a second.

But, within those greetings were a few smirks. Some even nudged him a little as they walked by, while some managed to mouth, 'Did you do it yet?' He tried ignoring those glances, feeling more pressured than before, but Peach didn't seem to notice those glances.

Apparently those toads at the store had to tell others about the rings he bought. Mario is lucky that the information didn't get to Peach yet.

Though, he isn't surprised. The smallest information can be spread around like wildfire here in Toad Town. Perhaps because it was such a small town? Basically everyone here is friends with each other, so…

Anyway, lucky for him, his and Luigi's house was out of the kingdom, so Mario and Peach still had a short while to be together. And it gave him enough time to finally propose.

He could feel his hand lightly shake as he continued fiddling with the ring. The time was coming where he had to propose. If not now, then not ever.

Though, the thought of rejection made him terrified. He loves Peach, and she shows him all the love and affection he could imagine. But what if this was a bad time? What if she has been lying this whole time? But why would she? But what if this was some sort of trick?

Thoughts continued to cloud Mario's mind as he stared down at the ground in thought. The two continued to walk until, before he could register, they reached the house.

This wasn't necessarily a good sign for him. Peach stopped walking and looked at him, gently smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She spoke, giving him a small kiss on the forehead.

Before she could turn around, he quickly grabbed her hand as an instinct. "W-Wait. I need to ask you something."

She looked back over at him, frowning a little. "Ah, is something wrong, dear?" She softly questioned.

"No, but…" Mario felt the ring in his pocket for a moment before letting it go, taking a deep breath. "You mean the world to me, and you make all of my days brighter…" 

He looked around for a moment and saw that no one was there to watch. Peach didn't seem to understand what was happening, but she still whole-hearty gigged and smiled, even blushed.

"So, I was wondering," he placed his hand in his pocket and grabbed the ring, pulling it out. He didn't bother to kneel, because looking up at her would hurt his neck and be awkward. So, he simply looked up at her, showing her the ring.

"Will you marry me?"

╌────═❁═────╌

Mario's eyes kept drifting off to the sea. He didn't necessarily know why, maybe because it was something that soothed him from the thoughts he was currently having.

As he and Peach slowly walked through the beach, the sun rising from across the ocean, the two talked and discussed as the wind and salty smell of the ocean filled them.

While he did wear black swim trunks and sandals, he wore a red t-shirt also to cover up more of his body. It wasn't from the wind, it was from his insecurities. Peach has said that she didn't really mind, but he still refused.

He knew he wasn't anything appealing to look at, anyway. But, she was, as she wore a pink swimsuit, skirt, and flip-flops. Her hair was lightly fluttering, and her eyes were closed as she seemed to be at peace as she spoke.

"And he literally was talking about you the whole time I was with him," Peach ranted, talking about no one other than Bowser. "He was all like, "I'm sure this time he'll fail," and others like that…It was super annoying. He just never keeps his mouth shut…"

"I can imagine," Mario simply responded, "He's so weird…I wonder how anyone could ever deal with him."

He wasn't paying much attention to the words coming out of his mouth, as his mind registered more about how he isn't worth anything to her. How she might just prefer Bowser over this small, random, little…guy.

So, he tried keeping his mouth shut about it, and he didn't like when others teased him about liking- no, loving her. He knows she deserves someone better. Someone taller, more handsome, just overall better.

But, Mario still couldn't help his heart sailing and his face turning into a shade of red whenever he was around her. She was so perfect, and it wasn't just her beauty. It was her generosity to her town, her toughness when she is faced with problems, her smarts when it comes to anything needing brains, and her hand overlapping his, and her soft kisses, and her touch…

He was so tired of keeping his feelings inside of him, but he just couldn't gather up the courage to tell her. It could ruin their friendship, and things could turn out to be even worse.

"Mario? Mario, dear…"

He blinked, looking over at Peach in small confusion. She was looking at him in small worry, and Mario didn't quite understand why.

She seemed to have noticed his confusion and expressed her worry, "Is something the matter? You've been a little quiet ever since we got here…"

"I know," he acknowledged. "I'm just thinking…it's nothing important, though." He didn't want to hold back his feelings, but there are times where it's needed in order to keep others happy.

She didn't seem to fall for that too well. "Are you sure? I miss the older you, the happier and talkative you…If you need to say something, then please do."

There was a moment of silence between them, and he looked down for a moment in thought. This could be his moment, and he knew that, but what came out was a stuttering mess that even he couldn't comprehend what he was saying.

Her face grimmed as she took hold of one of his hands, continuing to look at him in worry. "Please…it's alright." He knew that she could tell there was something wrong, that there was something lingering in his mind.

And, before he could stop himself, he softly spoke. "I-I'm just in love with you."

She seemed to have frozen for a second, her grip on his hand loosening. When he noticed, he mentally prepared himself for some slap in the face or whatever kind of rejection he'll get.

He looked down at the ground, not wanting to see her reaction. Realizing what he said, he could feel his face flush red from horrible embarrassment. Though, he continued to speak, "And…I always have. From the first day we met. You're just so amazing, and…"

And he wasn't lying. When he was around her, his days always seemed lighter. She was the light in the darkness, the person he always keeps fighting for. Seeing her happy and content makes him feel like he's doing something right. Like his heart is about to burst.

His voice trailed off when he heard her next sentence. She grinned, grabbing his hand. "I'm so in love with you also."

╌────═❁═────╌

Peach stared down at the ring, her eyes widening. Her eyes were glistening with tears as she quickly and unexpectedly hugged him, which almost made him fall backwards and drop the ring.

She looked up at him, tears falling down her face before she softly spoke, "I will."

And then they kissed.

**Author's Note:**

> It's Valentine's Day, so I wanted to do something special with my favorite ship lol. This was originally gonna be a rewrite from another story I wrote long ago, but decided to just rewrite the whole thing with the same concept.


End file.
